updated 01:50 pm EST, Wed January 6, 2010

ATT to use Dell, HTC, Moto Android models

AT&T on Wednesday unveiled a major Android initiative for its network. So far the last major US carrier to adopt Google's platform, it should now add five Android phones within the first half of the year. The carrier doesn't provide full details but does say it will have the Dell Mini 3i as well as phones from HTC and Motorola.

At least one of the Motorola phones is known to be the Motus, as AT&T has confirmed that one of the phones will have a "unique" form factor and the MOTOBLUR interface. The HTC phones are likely to include the Lancaster, a QWERTY-slider varient of the Hero.

All of the phones are part of a major push into apps at AT&T as the provider now says it intends to keep "all" major smartphone app stores available on its network as well as to work to standardize BREW apps and aid international support. With the exception of the iPhone's App Store, all other large US carriers have already had at least three stores. The largest is Sprint, which offers Android Market, BlackBerry App World, Palm App Catalog and Windows Marketplace.

US services, particularly Verizon, have previously been apprehensive of smartphone app stores as they often exclude the carrier from the revenue stream and prevent it from profiting off downloads. Many if not all have relented as they now see the price of data plans as offsetting perceived losses.

Well, duh!

"Many if not all have relented as they now see the price of data plans as offsetting perceived losses."

Sshshshuuuhhh. What did they think data plans covered if not the actual transmission of data? Apps are just data until they are run on the target device. Insinuating themselves into the purchase experience is a major money grab that wreaks of greed and abuse.

Practically anything can be a "perceived loss". The city is losing money because they are not taxing me by the foot fall while I walk on the sidewalk. The health care industry is losing money because they are not charging me by the breath count. Jeepers.

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tethering and Edge

The Nexus is limited because of the radio frequencies it supports. This is a hardware 'issue', not a software one. Ergo, it all depends on the phones ATT carries. But I would assume if they're carrying them, they would support ATTs network.

As for tethering, it probably will be supported, as ATT already supports tethering on many of its smart phones now. But as we know, the iPhone is special, and is treated differently.